A song of David.

Lord, you are my Light and my Savior,
    so why should I be afraid of anyone?
The Lord is where my life is safe,
    so I will be afraid of no one!
Evil people might attack me.
    They might try to destroy my body.
Yes, my enemies might attack me and try to destroy me,
    but they will stumble and fall.
Even if an army surrounds me, I will not be afraid.
    Even if people attack me in war, I will trust in the Lord.

I ask only one thing from the Lord.
    This is what I want most:
Let me live in the Lord’s house all my life,
    enjoying the Lord’s beauty
    and spending time in his palace.

He will protect me when I am in danger.
    He will hide me in his tent.
    He will take me up to his place of safety.
If he will help me defeat the enemies around me,
    I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy.
    I will sing and play songs to honor the Lord.

Lord, hear my voice.
    Be kind and answer me.
My heart told me to come to you, Lord,
    so I am coming to ask for your help.
Don’t turn away from me.
    Don’t be angry with your servant.
    You are the only one who can help me.
My God, don’t leave me all alone.
    You are my Savior.
Even if my mother and father leave me,
    the Lord will take me in.
I have enemies, Lord, so teach me your ways.
    Show me the right way to live.
My enemies have attacked me.
    They have told lies about me and have tried to hurt me.
But I really believe
    that I will see the Lord’s goodness before I die.
Wait for the Lord’s help.
    Be strong and brave,
    and wait for the Lord’s help.

3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ² But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. ⁴ Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

⁵ “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

⁶ “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. ⁷ From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ ⁸ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. ⁹ You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. ¹⁰ Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. ¹¹ I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. ¹² Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

¹³ “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ ¹⁴ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? ¹⁵ And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. ¹⁷ “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

4  “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ² But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. ³ And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

⁴ “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

⁵ “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ⁶ And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting. It happened in the Desert of Sinai. The Lord spoke to him on the first day of the second month. It was the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. The Lord said, “Count all the men of Israel. Make a list of them by their tribes and families. List every man by name. List them one by one. Count all the men able to serve in the army. They must be 20 years old or more. I want you and Aaron to make a list of them group by group. One man from each tribe must help you. Those who help must be the heads of their families.

Here are the names of the men who must help you.

“From the tribe of Reuben will come Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

From the tribe of Simeon will come Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.

From the tribe of Judah will come Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.

From the tribe of Issachar will come Nethanel, the son of Zuar.

From the tribe of Zebulun will come Eliab, the son of Helon.

From the tribe of Ephraim will come Elishama, the son of Ammihud.

From the tribe of Manasseh will come Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.

Ephraim and Manasseh are Joseph’s two sons.

From the tribe of Benjamin will come Abidan, the son of Gideoni.

From the tribe of Dan will come Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.

From the tribe of Asher will come Pagiel, the son of Okran.

From the tribe of Gad will come Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.

From the tribe of Naphtali will come Ahira, the son of Enan.”

These were the men appointed from the community. They were the leaders of the tribes of their people. They were the heads of the major families in Israel.

Moses and Aaron went and got the men whose names had been given to them. Then Moses and Aaron gathered all the men of Israel together. It was the first day of the second month. The people wrote down the tribe and family they belonged to. The men 20 years old or more were listed by name. They were listed one by one. Everything was done just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Moses counted them in the Desert of Sinai.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Reuben. He is Israel’s oldest son.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed one by one. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Simeon.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed one by one. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Gad.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Judah.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Issachar.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Zebulun.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Ephraim. He is the son of Joseph.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Manasseh. He is the son of Joseph.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Benjamin.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Dan.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Asher.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500.

Here is the number of men from the tribe of Naphtali.

All the men able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed according to the records of their tribes and families. The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.

These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron. The 12 leaders of Israel helped them. There was one leader from each tribe. The men who were counted were able to serve in Israel’s army. All of them were 20 years old or more. They were counted family by family. The total number of men was 603,550.

But the families of the tribe of Levi were not counted along with the others. The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, “You must not count the men from the tribe of Levi. Do not include them when you list the other men of Israel. Instead, put the Levites in charge of the holy tent. That is where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. The Levites will be in charge of everything that belongs to the holy tent. They must carry the tent and everything that belongs to it. They must take care of it. They must set up camp around it. When the holy tent must be moved, the Levites must take it down. And when the tent must be set up, the Levites must do it. Anyone else who approaches it must be put to death. The Israelites must set up their tents by military groups. All of them must be in their own camps under their own flags. But the Levites must set up their tents around the holy tent. That’s where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Then I will not be angry with the community of Israel. The Levites will be responsible for taking care of the tent.”

The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, “The Israelites must camp around the tent of meeting. But they must not camp too close to it. All of them must camp under their flags and under the banners of their families.”

The groups of the camp of Judah must be on the east side. They must set up camp toward the sunrise. They must camp under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Judah is Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. There are 74,600 men in Nahshon’s group.

The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them. The leader of the tribe of Issachar is Nethanel, the son of Zuar. There are 54,400 men in Nethanel’s group.

The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the tribe of Zebulun is Eliab, the son of Helon. There are 57,400 men in Eliab’s group.

So a total of 186,400 men will be set apart for the camp of Judah. They will be arranged group by group. They will start out first.

The groups of the camp of Reuben will be on the south side. They will be under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Reuben is Elizur, the son of Shedeur. There are 46,500 men in Elizur’s group.

The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the tribe of Simeon is Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. There are 59,300 men in Shelumiel’s group.

The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the tribe of Gad is Eliasaph, the son of Deuel. There are 45,650 men in Eliasaph’s group.

So a total of 151,450 men will be set apart for the camp of Reuben. They will be arranged group by group. They will start out second.

Then the camp of the Levites will start out. The tent of meeting will go with them. They will march in the middle of the other camps. They will start out in the same order as they do when they set up camp. Each one will be in their own place under their flag.

The groups of the camp of Ephraim will be on the west side. They will be under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Ephraim is Elishama, the son of Ammihud. There are 40,500 men in Elishama’s group.

The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the tribe of Manasseh is Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. There are 32,200 men in Gamaliel’s group.

The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the tribe of Benjamin is Abidan, the son of Gideoni. There are 35,400 men in Abidan’s group.

So a total of 108,100 men will be set apart for the camp of Ephraim. They will be arranged group by group. They will start out third.

The groups of the camp of Dan will be on the north side. They will be under their flag. The leader of the tribe of Dan is Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. There are 62,700 men in Ahiezer’s group.

The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the tribe of Asher is Pagiel, the son of Okran. There are 41,500 men in Pagiel’s group.

The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the tribe of Naphtali is Ahira, the son of Enan. There are 53,400 men in Ahira’s group.

So a total of 157,600 men will be set apart for the camp of Dan. They will start out last. They will march under their flags.

Those are the men of Israel. They were counted according to their families. The total number of all the men in the camps is 603,550, group by group. But the Levites weren’t counted along with the other men of Israel. That’s what the Lord had commanded Moses.

So the Israelites did everything the Lord had commanded Moses. That’s the way they set up camp under their flags. And that’s the way they started out. Each of them marched out with their own tribe and family.

“Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way before Me. And the Lord, whom you are seeking, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of armies. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap. And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old, and as in former years.

“Then I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, those who oppress the wage earner in his wages or the widow or the orphan, and those who turn away the stranger from justice and do not fear Me,” says the Lord of armies. “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.

“From the days of your fathers you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

“Would anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruit of your ground; nor will the vine in the field prove fruitless to you,” says the Lord of armies. “All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of armies.

“Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is pointless to serve God; and what benefit is it for us that we have done what He required, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of armies? So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also put God to the test and escape punishment.’”

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name. “And they will be Mine,” says the Lord of armies, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will have compassion for them just as a man has compassion for his own son who serves him.” So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and frolic like calves from the stall. And you will crush the wicked underfoot, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am preparing,” says the Lord of armies.

“Remember the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.”

3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ² But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. ⁴ Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

⁵ “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

⁶ “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. ⁷ From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ ⁸ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. ⁹ You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. ¹⁰ Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. ¹¹ I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. ¹² Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

¹³ “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ ¹⁴ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? ¹⁵ And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. ¹⁷ “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

4  “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ² But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. ³ And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

⁴ “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

⁵ “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ⁶ And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”